Tom Howell Jr.

D.C. Council Chair Brown rearranges committees

D.C. Council Chairman Kwame R. Brown on Tuesday shuffled the leadership of key council committees, leaving one member "baffled" and raising questions about political payback. Published July 12, 2011

Questions remain as DYRS nominee nears confirmation

Mayor Vincent C. Gray's pick to lead the District's juvenile justice agency will likely be confirmed this week by running out the clock on any objections to his nomination. Published July 11, 2011

D.C. Council to vote on DYRS chief

The D.C. Council will hold a confirmation hearing Tuesday on Neil A. Stanley, the nominee to lead the District's juvenile justice agency, after a council committee disapproved the nomination last week. Published July 10, 2011

D.C. Council committee rejects Stanley’s nomination as DYRS chief

A D.C. Council committee formally disapproved the nomination of Neil A. Stanley to lead the District's juvenile justice agency, citing concerns about his lack of relevant experience, ongoing troubles in the agency and an inquiry into how a key post had been filled. Published July 8, 2011

D.C. middle school test scores up; some elementary scores slip

Recent test scores show long-term improvement among D.C. students, despite concerns about cheating and a dip in reading proficiency this year at the elementary school level, city officials said. Published July 8, 2011

D.C. elections board refers Kwame Brown case to prosecutors

The federal prosecutor for the District will investigate Kwame R. Brown's re-election committee for suspected criminal violations of campaign finance law after city elections officials Thursday substantiated findings of widespread irregularities during the D.C. Council chairman's 2008 re-election race. Published July 7, 2011

D.C. cops feckless on bias crimes, gays say

Leaders of D.C. lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender groups say there is an "obvious disconnect" between the Metropolitan Police Department's public condemnation of hate crimes and actual concern on the beat. Published July 6, 2011

Questions linger in DYRS hiring

A D.C. Department of Human Resources investigation failed to address lingering questions about how a key post was filled in the District's Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services - creating uncertainty over the fate of Mayor Vincent C. Gray's pick to lead the troubled juvenile justice agency. Published July 6, 2011

Investigation mum on DYRS chief’s role in questionable hire

A D.C. Department of Human Resources investigation has failed to address lingering questions about how a key post was filled at the District's juvenile justice agency. Published July 6, 2011

Medical marijuana proceeds in D.C. as feds reconsider enforcement

The District passed its first milestone in selecting who gets coveted licenses for the city's burgeoning medical marijuana program — even as the federal government takes a second look at its hands-off approach to those who grow and sell the drug for patient use. Published July 5, 2011

I-Gaming plan caps losses at $250 per week

Players can lose only as much as $250 a week in the D.C. Lottery's upcoming online gambling program, but there is no limit on how much they can win on a hot streak, said Buddy Roogow, executive director of the city-run D.C. Lottery and Charitable Games Control Board. Published July 4, 2011

Fire-EMS chief extends duration of light duty

Pregnant members of the D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services can now perform light duty for up to 90 days, remedying a 30-day policy that raised ire in the ranks in recent weeks, Chief Kenneth Ellerbe said Thursday. Published June 30, 2011

Lottery to seek community input on ‘hot spots’

The D.C. Lottery has assured a key D.C. Council member that it will not roll out online gambling in public locations until communities have their say on where the contentious program may operate. Published June 30, 2011

D.C. Lottery’s online-gaming plan ruled legal

The D.C. Lottery's plan to introduce unprecedented online gambling in the District is legal as long as play occurs within city borders, the District's top lawyer said Wednesday. Published June 29, 2011

Ward 8 eager to see promised development

D.C. Council member Marion Barry says his Ward 8 constituents have been "greatly neglected" by previous mayors. Published June 28, 2011

Debut dates planned for D.C.’s Internet gambling

The D.C. Lottery announced roll-out dates for its unprecedented Internet gambling program, kicking it off with two demonstration games in midsummer before players wager real cash in September. Published June 27, 2011

Future of D.C. development will be in Ward 8, Gray says

Nearly six months into his term, D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray is striking a firm tone on the economic pillar of his One City plan and looking to rebound from the scandals that have surrounded the John A. Wilson Building. Published June 27, 2011

D.C. Council seeks to clarify celebrity police-escort policy

Believe it or not, actress Hilary Duff and Nation of Islam minister Louis Farrakhan have something in common: Both enjoyed a D.C. police escort before bad-boy celebrity Charlie Sheen highlighted the muddled policy issue in April, according to a ranking Metropolitan police officer. Published June 23, 2011

D.C. surplus revenue can’t fund priorities

An influx of $77 million into the District's coffers will not be enough to fund even two of the nine spending priorities the D.C. Council settled on for any additional money the city collects, according to revenue projections released Wednesday. Published June 22, 2011